Unaccompanied minors at risk of abuse, an Atlanta nonprofit returning to its roots, and Muslim American Heritage Month.
Discover more from 285 South
Unaccompanied minors at risk of abuse, an Atlanta nonprofit returning to its roots, and Muslim American Heritage Month.
Your 285 South News Roundup.
Hi folks, It’s been a minute. I’ve spent most of this month visiting family in Srinagar - a valley nestled in the Himalayas in the northern region of the South Asian subcontinent. Being away made me think even more about one of the themes I’ve been writing about in Atlanta. What does it mean for our emotional wellbeing and our understanding of the world to live in two worlds (or more) at once? What can we learn from the diverse places so many people in Metro Atlanta originate from and what can we apply to life here? Stay tuned for an essay I’m writing for Austin Ray’s How I’d Fix Atlanta in August where I’ll explore some of these ideas.
While I’ve been away, Canopy Atlanta’s Atlanta Press Club intern Abby Ann Ramsey has been plugging away on the news roundup.
So let’s get to it. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit reply to this message or find 285 South on Facebook or Instagram.
Unaccompanied migrant children at risk for sexual abuse: Emilia and Juana, two young women who migrated to Georgia as unaccompanied minors, spoke to the AJC’s Lautaro Grinspan about the abuse they experienced once they were released to live with male relatives and friends. Their stories aren’t unique: More and more minors are arriving in the U.S. and falling off the government radar, leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Those who are abused and subsequently leave are handed over to Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS)—but only while they’re under the age of 18. DFCS is in charge of assigning children to sponsors and checking up on them, but often struggles to maintain contact and ensure the safety of vulnerable children. Read the full piece here.
Ser Familia to expand services to San Juan: Ser Familia, an Atlanta nonprofit that provides family and mental health services for the Latino community, has been around since 2001 with couple Belisa and Miguel Urbina at the helm. Belisa told 11-Alive that Puerto Rico—where she and her husband immigrated from—has a great need for mental health services in the wake of recent natural disasters. "It's a full circle moment for us,” Belisa said. “We're going back to our roots and providing this for the island. There's a real need there." Read the 11-Alive story here.
Laws cracking down on voter assistance raise concerns for Asian Americans: The Associated Press recently explored how groups that assist Asian Americans through the voting process are reevaluating their role and adapting to concerns of voter fraud. Georgia is one of several states (including Florida and Texas) that has seen Republican-backed efforts to crack down on people or groups that assist voters with legislation entailing criminal penalties and fines. One example: part of Georgia’s 2021 election bill makes it a misdemeanor to hand out water or snacks in lines at polling places. “It’s simple things like that, which would have been like a conversation starter or just like helping them throughout the process, might be viewed as like something illegal I’m doing,” said James Woo, communications director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. Check out the story on WABE's website.
Muslim American Heritage Month - Voices of Muslims (VoM), a Georgia-based advocacy group for Muslim communities, has joined national efforts to establish July as Muslim American Heritage Month. VoM’s goal is to “recognize the countless contributions of Muslim Americans in various fields, including art, science, education, sports, policies, and more. More than two dozen cities and counties in Georgia, according to VoM, have issued proclamations of support for the heritage month, including Atlanta, Forest Park, Alpharetta, and Suwanee.
In Gwinnett County, Commissioner Kirkland Carden has also sponsored a proclamation, which will be presented today at 2:00 pm (watch it here live) during the Board of Commissioners business session. “We stand united in recognizing and celebrating the invaluable contributions the Muslim community has made to Gwinnett’s rich tapestry,” said Commissioner Carden in an email statement to 285 South. Learn more here.
Latino voter survey to bring concerns straight to lawmakers: The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials is surveying Latino voters on their political concerns from now until November, in order to bridge the gap between Latin American communities and elected officials. As Georgia’s Latino community has grown by almost 32% in the last decade, GALEO wants to advocate for the population by sharing recommendations with Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia’s legislature. "The only way to know what will positively impact the Latino community is to learn what the communities want," said GALEO communications director Alba Villarreal. Check out the FOX 5 Atlanta story here and fill out the survey here.
In media news - Atlanta K goes national: The Atlanta-based Korean language online news outlet, Atlanta K, has expanded its coverage and launched America K. Editor-in-Chief Eunice Lee says the site will be dedicated to covering the entire Korean community in the US. The company’s CEO, Sang Yeon Lee, also recently announced a partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta where the two companies will “jointly develop content for Korean and mainstream readers in the future, cross-post them, and cooperate in marketing.” Read more here.
Craft Indian beer is coming to Georgia grocery stores: Rupee Beer, a company dedicated to brewing beer that can be paired with Indian cuisine, is expanding to Georgia. Brothers Van and Sumit Sharma set out to bring Indian beer to the market when it was impossible for them to find any in the state of Maine. Now, the company sells beverages in more than 12 states and will soon be available in Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco, and Total Wine locations across Georgia. Read the story in NRI Pulse.
And finally, apple fritters: Sugar Bowl Bakery’s facility off Lawrenceville Highway creates mouthwatering apple fritters, madeleines, and brownie bites, but the manufacturer also has a history of diversity. Originally founded by Vietnamese brothers in California, the company opened a facility in Tucker where it employs people originating from Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 285 South’s Sophia Qureshi spent a day at the facility and wrote this dispatch for Atlanta magazine.
Unaccompanied minors at risk of abuse, an Atlanta nonprofit returning to its roots, and Muslim American Heritage Month.
Just to clarify one point in your summary, DFCS is not responsible for vetting sponsors or following up with minors once released from government care. ORR (Office of Refugee Resettlement) is responsible for vetting who kids are released to from their care and are now expanding to provide case management after release to all children. After release, ORR does not have legal guardianship of the kids and child abuse/neglect falls to thr state where the child lives. If child abuse or neglect are identified in Georgia, DFCS is responsible to investigate and keep the minor safe.
"What does it mean for our emotional wellbeing and our understanding of the world to live in two worlds (or more) at once?"
My partner and I watched the film Past Lives recently which engages with this question expertly.